Tag Archives: Jo Ash

Jo Ash : Mutation, EP released April 2025

A trio of new recordings from composer/singer Jo Ash, starting with ‘Fear’, a re-imagining of a standout song originally played by her rock band Derecho and since honed by live performances in her solo shows. With pacy keyboards and beats, bass notes pushing their way in and an urgency in the vocal it rolls through moody verses and powers into the killer choruses.

‘Raven Sky’ is one of Jo’s gentler storytelling songs, filled with atmosphere and foreboding. Sparse instrumentation eventually breaks out into bold sonic layers for the grand finale before drifting off into space. ‘Coda’ is a clever lyric full of questions over another fizzing electronic rhythm; it gets to twist and mutate towards the end. These three gems are a change of direction for this talented performer who is always pushing her music into uncharted territory.

http://www.joashmusic.com

Jo Ash : Somewhere Beneath The Stars, single released December 2024

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A seasonal song from singer/songwriter Jo Ash, with her piano augmented by gentle acoustic guitar from musical collaborator Mike Wheatley.

As always with Jo’s tracks it is all about creation of an evocative atmosphere, as the melodic subtleties in the verses lead to a resolving bold chorus. There is also a wistful dreaminess of the lyrics ‘…..on this frosty eve the white’s so pure. Take me somewhere I’ve never been before. Amber fire, glowing stars lighting up the midnight sky….’.

As in many of the best Christmas songs the allusions to the long winter nights of glorious clear skies, snow and otherworldly cold are what timelessly resonate with the listener…

https://www.joashmusic.com/

Jo Ash : Nothing To Say, single released June 2024

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New single ‘Nothing To Say’ from keyboardist/singer Jo Ash may seem unseasonal with the opening lines ‘……cold wind bites, you’re outside with no sense of time…direction’s changed, but winter stays the same….’ but of course it is a metaphor for the emotional detachment and melancholy that is the core of the song.

The gentle piano theme of the introduction heralds a gorgeous waltz-time ballad, strong on melody and atmosphere. The instrumentation becomes denser for the musical uplift of the chorus ‘…wish for a storm when the skies are so clear…and there’s nothing to stand in your way….’. This new single is enhanced by a video with Jo walking through the signature surroundings (‘…sky so vast….’) around her East Anglian home.

It is a subtle yet potent track, in many ways the distilled musical essence of this talented performer.

https://www.joashmusic.com/

Jo Ash : Clouds, single released April 2024

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The new single from composer/performer Jo Ash is a delicate and sombre poem, set to a minimal piano backing. Opening lines ‘….I’m listening to you but your words melt into the road like tar…the harsh air whips my face, I almost feel the cuts it makes….’ set the tone and quietly build atmosphere, as the imagery of nature and time weave through the lyric.

The air of uncertainty resolves into a chorus ‘…..everything moves, and still I walk, and sometimes it stops…then it rises up and I’m asking why it feels like it matters more than it does….’ but the song never departs from the ethereal beauty created by Jo’s vocal and measured keyboard figures. There is a gentle intrusion from haunting synthesiser strings as overall this sparse musical gem hits all the right emotional notes.

https://www.joashmusic.com

Jo Ash : Idols, single released February 2024

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The engaging new single from composer/musician Jo Ash muses on the ups and downs of fame, channelling the persona of a lone singer in the spotlight; with her rich vocal telling the story over a lush keyboard and percussive backing. The strong chorus cuts through as the emotional core of the track, ‘….What did she feel when they cried out for more…what did they do when she fell to the floor….and now they’re all gone…could she ever be lonely….’, the catchiness of the music hiding the darker tones within the lyrics.

This thoughtful song is accompanied by a video featuring Jo in multiple studio roles of performance and production as well as a cameo appearance on the wall from the cracked actor himself David Bowie, perhaps the ultimate musical idol?

https://www.joashmusic.com

Jo Ash : Growing Flying Falling, LP released June 2023

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A new album release from singer/songwriter and keyboard player Jo Ash, a follow-up to her twin EPs Matinee/After Dark from the end of 2021. Jo’s sound has developed to produce her strongest collection so far, from the electronic dramas of opener ‘The Phoenix’ with its impressionistic lyrical touches (‘… scarlet wings beat against the grey….looking out to an untouched maze…’) to the elegant beauty of solo piano and voice on ‘The Painter’; probably my favourite track on the collection.

Her self-production skills lend extra textures to the pulsing ‘Under The Sky’ followed by the moody ‘Tidal Wave’ with its elaborate orchestration fully realised. The gorgeous distant echoing sound of ‘Anybody’s Fool’ is framed by cello and gentle piano and features a subtly catchy chorus. ‘Apparition’ shows Jo’s baroque storytelling side while ‘The Willow Tree’ is driven by a strong melody and a confiding vocal.

The final two tracks show possible future directions; the pounding electronic sequencer and synthetic drums of the brilliant ‘Run’ and the acoustic guitar drifting around Jo’s soulful voice in ‘Under The Giants’. This is an excellent collection, full of light, shade, musical commitment and strong song-writing.

http://www.joashmusic.com

Forthcoming 2023 live dates….

02 July Aquafest, Ely, United Kingdom

07 July Ely Folk Festival 2023, Ely, United Kingdom

13 July Acoustic Night with Jo Ash, The Commemoration Hall, Huntingdon, United Kingdom

03 August The Acoustic Club, Bishop’s Stortford, United Kingdom

Jo Ash : Here, Then & Somewhere Else, EP released 9 March 2021

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The new EP from Jo Ash is five haunting tracks mainly featuring solo piano, a contrast to her song-based solo recordings and performances fronting rock band Derecho.

Opener ‘Petals’ starts hesitantly with a simply-stated theme that develops into a broad and echoing soundscape. Though threaded through with melancholy it calls to mind yearning for open landscapes and escape, especially when a vocal line adds to the texture. ‘Enchanted River’ is a more introspective keyboard study, flowing and cyclical with a calm gentleness laced with a bit of darkness.

Synthesisers are featured on ‘Innocence’, adding a full string sound before Jo’s voice soars above it all in a stately waltz. I particularly like the relaxed pastoral atmosphere of ‘Unspoken’; free of time and place. ‘Orion’s Quest’ evokes a blend of limitless journeys and mythology all leading to the famous constellation. It is an epic six minutes, again driven by a piano chord sequence that keeps returning as other sounds drift in and out. Jo’s voice weaves through the cosmos, culminating in a dramatic passage halfway through before the track drifts off into space. It is certainly a spectacular finale to the collection.

An innovative bonus to buying the EP – it comes with a free short story to add to the mystique…..

http://www.joashmusic.com

Derecho : Beneath A Stained Glass Sky, LP released November 2019 | cambridgemusicreviews

Jo Ash : Constellations, LP released October 2018 | cambridgemusicreviews

Three Christmas Singles, released December 2020

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Elma : Send Love This Christmas

From the introductory guitar footsteps in the snow and sleigh-bell beat there is no mistaking the intention of this gorgeous seasonal offering from Elma. Rhiannon’s pure and natural voice sets the scene ‘….it’s gonna feel strange to celebrate this year…. but I still think we should…’. and we soon get to the perfectly judged hookline ‘….send love this Christmas…it isn’t hard to do….and love will come right on back to you…’. Mark adds layers of ringing guitar lines and backing vocals to an uncluttered, retro and timeless mix. There is a winning middle-eight and by the end the duo have proved once again that their melodic command, vocal delivery and pop song construction is impeccable.

Elma (facebook.com)

Jo Ash : Paper Cards

Jo Ash has created an atmospheric song drawing on images of lost battlefields, forgotten heroes and lingering memories. In her emotional tale of farewells she uses echoing, repeating piano figures and orchestral synthesisers to generate a tense, dramatic backing to her soaring vocals.

Lyrically and musically evoking a dark season, ‘…..look up to the diamond sky…..a blanket of a million miles….encompassing you and I….’, but there is still hope ‘….I’ll never be too far from home….’. Finally there is reflection ‘….. I hear the words he said to me as I recall those winter nights…..as we made paper cards around the tree, and sang Silent Night….’.

So ideally sat in front of the fire with mulled wine in hand; slow down, hibernate and listen to this affecting track, contemplating the unchanging rhythms of the winter solstice.

Jo Ash Music

Paper Cards | Jo Ash (bandcamp.com)

The Eli Lillies : Christmas is the Season of Love

A fun song with a serious message from singer/songwriter Louise Eatock, who usually performs in the indie-folk band Flaming June and now releases this single as a one-off with group The Eli Lillies.

The profits are going to mental health charities and the essence of the lyric is clear in an effort to remove the stigma of necessary treatment ; ‘…..’cause with the right medication…Christmas can be such a fun celebration…’.

Louise can always turn a neat phrase in her compositions and ‘……Christmas can be fun and I will show you how…so take a mood stabilizer for your breakfast….and an anti-anxiety tablet for tea……pop an anti-depressant when you open your presents….’ pulls no punches with a great balance of humour too. Musically it is a real treat, a sort of vigorous folk/punk mix up with crashing noise suddenly giving way to sleigh bells and 60s harmonies. Enjoy the celebratory energy of the video too!

Theelilillies

Christmas is the Season of Love | The Eli Lillies (bandcamp.com)

Derecho : Beneath A Stained Glass Sky, LP released November 2019

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A track by track review of the new album ‘Beneath A Stained Glass Sky’ from four-piece rock band Derecho (a tornado that moves in a straight line)….

1. You Stole My Heart Starting with an accelerating drum call this opening salvo is a classic rocker. Singer and composer Jo Ash makes her presence felt with a powerful vocal, as the guitar slices in with organ backing and the big chorus is never too far away.

2. Red Ivy A gentle piano verse gives way to the surprising and dynamic chorus and it is all a bit dark (‘…so seduce me with your poison…’). I particularly like the instrumental interludes where the band have their chances to shine but Jo’s soaring voice is the centrepiece of the track.

3. Numb To Shame A bold statement of intent in the first few bars turns into a taut, twisting, mid-paced three minutes.

4. Fight or Flight Conjuring up the atmosphere of 80s metalpop classic ‘Run To The Hills’, this one moves quickly to its killer chorus. A waterfall of keyboard provides a brief soothing interlude.

5. Blue Heart An effective swampy blues re-working of a piano waltz from Jo Ash’s solo album (reviewed at https://cambridgemusicreviews.net/2018/10/14/jo-ash-constellations-lp-released-october-2018/)

6. Pushing Me Away The band really go for it on this one; a mixture of stealthy verse framed by sinister, echoing keys and building up into a soaring refrain as the drums steal the show.

7. Oxygen A dark lyric ‘…suffocate my mind…strip my lungs of air…‘ contrasts with a backing that rolls along deceptively uptempo and optimistic.

8. Nowhere Land (Into The Black Hole) Inspired by the film Interstellar this is one of the longest tracks on the album, a slow-burning, anthemic piece. Jo’s clear voice sails along in the upper registers as the music veers into prog-rock stylings, with a marching synthesised string section eventually unleashing the dark hordes of Mordor.

9. Lunar Light The lyric combines poetic imagery with the idea that the Moon can influence a personality ‘….under the light, lunar light…….is this really you? madden my senses, make me pretend I’m safe….’ This song has a retro 70s glam-rock feel to it, the combination of piano/guitar riff with the theatricality of the words works a treat.

10. Mountains A bold, broad finishing track, giving plenty of time to set the mood with a recurring figure dominated by the bass end of the piano. Jo’s voice goes through a range of distortion, to an emotive chorus and back again.
Another showcase too for the other band members and the production; making key contributions to this excellent rock album.

(Album launch show is at the Blue Moon, Cambridge on Saturday 16th November…)

http://www.derecho.band/#home-1-section

Jo Ash : Constellations, LP released October 2018

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Jo Ash is a singer and keyboard player from Ely, releasing her first LP of self-penned compositions. It is an album of introspection, intensity, imagination and above all of confident, well-structured song writing.

The first two tracks have a broad cosmological theme as referred to in the album title, with ‘Otherworldly’ a strong opener to the collection with its orchestral introduction before the acoustic piano and voice drive the song and lift its haunting chorus. Jo’s piano style is rich and compelling on many of these tracks, on ‘4D Journey’ it adorns a stealthy synthesiser bass pulse and another arresting chorus.
If the album generally tends towards slower tempos, in contrast the spirited ‘Story Behind Your Smile’ dances along briskly, ably supported by guesting guitar, bass and drums.

‘Adrift’ and ‘I See You’ are stately ballads where Jo gives full range to her clear, pure voice. ‘Her Eternity’ is a waltz led by some darker piano textures and tempo changes. ‘Smoke And Mirrors’ is a progrockish concoction with marching orchestra, spiky strings and a complex many-section arrangement.

‘Embers’ is a favourite of mine; with minimal piano and backing voices it still achieves a lush, emotive sound and it features one of Jo’s best vocals. ‘Blue Heart’ uses the repeating waltz rhythm of the echoing piano to great effect to counterpoint the abstract sentiments of the words.

For the final song a foreboding drum beat underpins a dark lyric musing on the inevitability of time passing and the idea that we only have ‘30,000 Days’ of life? The sombre chorus drives the song, ‘…here I am walking this Earth….’.
It is an unusual and haunting end to an impressive debut album.

http://joashmusic.com/